Out Of The Woods | Brightmoon City

The first rays of the rising sun gently awakened Lu Feng as they caressed his face. Descending from the treetop, he strolled over to the stream.

Undressing before dipping into the refreshing water, Lu Feng took a moment to thoroughly examine his body. A smile played on his lips, 'No cause for disappointment down there.'

After a leisurely soak, Lu Feng grabbed a porous rock from the stream's bank and used it to scrub himself. Despite the ring having a wide variety of things, soap and shampoo were absent.

Lu Feng grabbed a plush towel from his ring and began to pat himself dry. The luxurious fabric felt soft and warm against his skin. His gaze then fell upon the contents of the wardrobe, where a series of glass vials containing a rainbow of colored liquids intrigued him.

Opening the first vial released a beautiful musky aroma with hints of pine and mandarins. 'Perfume! And a good one too!'

While he intended to explore the other vials, Lu Feng couldn't smell them. He quickly realized that his nose had become desensitized, possibly due to the overly big whiff he had taken.

'Whatever, the first one's pretty good.'

Applying a small amount to his body, Lu Feng savored the fragrance. Careful not to overdo it, he proceeded to choose a matching pair of white and grey robes from the seemingly endless combinations available.

While dressing, Lu Feng noticed the unusually large size of the space ring and the presence of an intricate array carved into the floor.

Though not entirely familiar with the standards of storage items in this world, common sense suggested that creating a ring with such vast space would be a very difficult and costly task.

The complexity of the array wasn't simple either. Lu Feng concluded that it definitely had other functions besides being a protective array.

Making a mental note to thoroughly explore the ring's contents, he selected a pair of white shoes, donned them, and swiftly took off on his sword, flying toward the distant silhouette of the city at full speed.

Five hours later, when the obscuring barrier was just ahead of him, Lu Feng slowed down. As he inched towards the barrier, he looked back in the direction he came from—a vast expanse of forest stretched as far as the eye could see.

Before crossing the barrier, Lu Feng circulated Spirit energy with all his might and sharpened his focus, sensing everything around him with his keen perception.

A bright light filled his vision, overwhelming him. Lu Feng felt a strong resistance from the barrier, pushing him back, as if herding cattle into a pen.

Lu Feng soon overpowered the resistance of the barrier. A moment later, the pressure on him disappeared, and he came to a halt, hovering in the air.

After a few moments, Lu Feng's vision recovered, revealing a large sprawling city ahead.

Scanning the area, Lu Feng spotted a river some distance from the city, with rice fields lining the riverbank, and small villages and towns scattered between.

"Finally! Civilization, here I come," Lu Feng exclaimed.

When he glanced back for posterity, he was taken aback. The barrier he had crossed just moments ago had vanished. The vast expanse of the forest, the stream running through it and merging into the river— All were still present, but the barrier was nowhere to be seen.

As Lu Feng pondered this mystery, another surprise greeted him. The density of spiritual energy outside the barrier was nearly three times higher than within. Each breath he took filled him with a heady rush of spiritual energy.

Although tempted to investigate the barrier by returning, he hesitated, unsure if he was powerful enough to handle any unexpected occurrences that might trap him inside.

'Whatever, I'm out... I should head to the city,' he decided, and resumed his course.

***

After half an hour of flight, covering seven miles, Lu Feng approached the city. The towering walls and manned entry gate loomed into view. Deciding against flying over, he descended to the ground, stowing his sword back into his ring.

As he walked toward the gate, Lu Feng observed several cultivators descending from the sky and joining the procession toward the city entrance. Approaching the gate, he noticed a large golden plaque hanging prominently.

"Brightmoon City, Gate 4."

The gate featured two separate entrances: one bustling with carts laden with vegetables, chickens, and various goods, likely for mortals and merchant caravans. Joining the sparse line for cultivators, Lu Feng patiently waited his turn.

Ten minutes later, it was finally Lu Feng's turn.

The guard scrutinized him briefly, confirming that he was a cultivator, then presented him with a price list for various city tokens.

Visitor Token - 500 Spirit Stones. 1 Visit.

Resident Token - 10 Spirit Crystals. 1 Month.

Citizen Token - 1000 Spirit Crystals. 10 Years.

Brightmoon Token - 5000 Spirit Crystals. Indefinite.

Glancing at the guard, Lu Feng inquired, "What's the difference?"

The guard chuckled, nodding in understanding before answering, "If you're just visiting, the visitor token will suffice. It's valid for a single visit or two weeks, whichever ends earlier. With it, you can stay at any inn or hotel, but you can't rent or buy property.

"A resident token allows you to rent property and set up a stall in the markets.

"The citizen token is long-term, allowing you to buy property or establish a permanent business, with the option to renew.

"The Brightmoon token is a permanent citizen token, granting you the ability to buy, rent, or lease property, and start a business of any size or scale. Immediate family members are covered, but additional members require registration for an extra cost. Also..."

The guard glanced around to ensure no one was nearby and gestured for Lu Feng to come closer.

With a smirk, the guard continued, "You're a handsome young man. If you find yourself a fancy miss from the big clans and have babies, they'll be Brightmoon citizens by birth, and you'll be granted a Brightmoon token too..."

Lu Feng looked at the guard with an incredulous expression, only for the guard to wink and throw a thumbs-up sign.

Chuckling, Lu Feng requested the Brightmoon token.

Initially surprised, the guard gave Lu Feng a once-over. The luxurious robes, the elaborately embellished ring, and the heavenly fragrance wafting from the youth told him this young man was definitely not poor.

The guard presented a jade box. "Please deposit the money here."

As soon as Lu Feng drew 5000 spirit crystals from his ring, they were immediately swallowed up by the jade box, which began to glow.

With a nod, the guard asked for further details. "Name and Cultivation?"

"Lu Feng, Origin Level Cultivation."

The guard nodded approvingly. "Very impressive, young man. You're pretty gifted. Continue to work hard."

After registering Lu Feng's details, the guard handed over a white porcelain token.

The round token was pure white with golden letters on the face reading 'Brightmoon'. On the other side, in red letters, the name 'Lu Feng' was spelled out.

As Lu Feng was about to walk into the city, the guard called out to him. "Cultivators with a citizen token and above can fly within the city. They can also fly in and out of the city without stopping at the gate."

Lu Feng acknowledged the advice with a smile, drew his sword from the ring, and took off on it.

The guard sighed, "Ah, these young heroes... Well, I guess it's past our time."

Another guard arrived at the gate, "What are you talking about, Captain? If even people like you with Empyrean cultivation say such things, what about the rest of us?" Looking around, the newly arrived guard cautiously asked, "And why are you manning the gate, Captain?"

"No need for caution, I was just bored. I met some interesting people today... Alright, I'm going back..."

***